Janice R. Andrews
Former President Donald Trump has suggested that foreign people who graduate from U.S. institutions should “automatically” earn green cards, which is a startling departure from his prior immigration stance. Compared to the prior attempts by his administration to limit immigration, both legal and illegal, this plan represents a substantial shift.
Trump said on “The All-In Podcast,” which aired on Thursday, “What I want to do, and what I will do, is you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country.” He made it clear that this would hold true for graduates earning a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate from any institution or university, including junior colleges.
Prominent computer venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, who recently hosted a fundraiser for Trump in San Francisco, were the hosts of this audacious idea. The conversation was started by investor Jason Calacanis, who requested that Trump make it easier for gifted people from around the world to enter the US.
With his promises to carry out “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” and his criticism of President Joe Biden’s immigration policy, Trump has made immigration a central platform of his 2024 presidential campaign. In response to President Biden’s recent unilateral move to assist some illegal family members of American citizens, he has taken a new stand on green cards.
Trump attacked the regulations that compel foreign graduates of elite American universities to create businesses elsewhere rather than domestically. “You must have a pool of intelligent individuals to work for your business. We drive out the brightest students, the top graduates from the greatest universities, and the top students in their class,” he bemoaned.
This proposal is a stark contrast to the policies he has previously advocated for, including limiting refugee admissions, banning travel from certain countries with a majority of Muslims, and targeting skilled worker visa programs. As he runs for a third term, Trump continues to use harsh rhetoric against undocumented immigrants, frequently making baseless accusations about their criminality and criticizing Biden’s immigration policies. His recent comments regarding automatic green card issuance suggest that he may be shifting his stance on legal immigration in an effort to keep top talent in the United States.
